A meeting was called the very next day. All the senshi (Mamoru and guardians included) were present this time. The outers were explaining the events from the previous night.
"We still don't know who or what sent this monster, but it was definitely after Hotaru." Said Michiru.
"How did you destroy it?" Luna asked her.
"We didn't."
"The door was blocked and we didn't get into the room until after the monster left." Haruka said.
"So Hotaru has told you what happened after that?" Said Rei.
"Well…" Michiru started, "Hotaru hasn't said anything. She's been in the same state as we found her in last night.
"See for yourselves." Haruka said.
"Hotaru-chan?" Chibi-usa inquired after her friend.
Hotaru had heard nothing of this conversation. Instead, she was staring out into space with a dreamy look in her eyes and her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Uh…is she ok?" Makoto asked.
"Did the monster do anything to her?" Usagi said worriedly.
"She wasn't hurt at all when we found her." Setsuna answered.
"Well, it looks to me like she's in love." Minako said smiling.
"…….? Excuse me?" Haruka said with a blank expression on her face.
"Hey Hotaru. Where'd you get that pretty necklace from?" Chibi-usa asked.
Hotaru instantly snapped out of her 'trance' and looked at her friend.
"This?" She held up the star pendant. "Adrian gave it to me." Hotaru said, returning to her dream-like state.
"Huh?" Chibi-usa said, very confused.
"Hotaru, do you remember Adrian?" Setsuna asked her.
"Yes, I do Setsuna-mama." She said, "It was his voice that I heard the other day. And I've had some dreams too, that's when it started to come back to me."
"Ok, wait a minute." Usagi said standing up. "Now just who is this Adrian?"
"Adrian is the Silver Knight of Saturn," Setsuna said, adding, "And Hotaru's true love."
"WHAT!" Everyone exclaimed, minus Hotaru who was still staring into space.
"Queen Serenity erased all of your memories from the Silver Millennium. Bits and pieces have come back to you all over the years, but I don't think anyone of you know about this." Said Setsuna, "And I'm probably not the best person to tell you about it."
"Then who is?" Luna asked.
"That would be me." A male voice answered.
Everyone turned to the young man that had appeared in the doorway.
"Adrian!" Hotaru said smiling, then jumping up and running into his open arms.
"See Taru, I told you I'd be back." Adrian said while embracing her. He then bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Hey!" Haruka said angrily, "Get your lips off of her!"
"Oh, hi Uranus. You haven't changed much." Adrian said in a dry tone.
"Didn't you hear me? Get off of her!" Haruka said again, getting madder.
"One moment, if you please." Adrian said before giving Hotaru a very passionate kiss.
"You…!" Haruka said (with little veins beginning to pop out on her forehead.).
"Take it easy will ya. I'd never do anything to hurt my Hotaru." Adrian said, embracing Hotaru. "You're judging me way too harshly, grandma."
"Grandma..? Grandma!?" Haruka said with steam coming out of her head, "THAT'S IT!"
Haruka grabbed the table and hurled it at Adrian, who ducked out of the way to have the table smash into the tree behind him.
"My table." Rei said in a low and shocked voice.
"Alright, that's enough!" Michiru said, standing up, "Honestly, you two are behaving like little children!"
"Proves they haven't changed." Setsuna said in a low voice so no one could hear her. "Now, if you two are finished, perhaps Adrian could begin his explanation for us?"
"Alright, alright, I'll stop it. Just make sure grandma over there does too." Adrian said, sitting down next to Hotaru (The rest of the senshi busy holding Haruka down.).
"Now," Adrian began after everyone (including Haruka) had calmed down, "You all know about the Silver Millennium obviously. The Moon Kingdom, ruled by Queen Serenity, was at it's center. Serenity's daughter, Princess Serenity, was guarded by the princesses of the other nine planets, who were part of her court, and also known as the Sailor Senshi. But the protection of those princesses was also needed, which is why Queen Serenity chose to awaken the legend of the Silver Knights.
See, each planet has a Silver Knight chosen by fate to be the protectors of the princess of their planet. The Knight is recognized by the appearance of the planet's symbol on his forehead. Each of us was found by our planet and together we formed the Silver Knights of the Silver Millennium, led by Prince Endymion. Each of you has your own knight that was reborn in this time to be your protectors. When you need them they will appear because of the bond you share, since almost all of the knights (myself included) fell in love with the princess they protected."
"What do you mean 'almost all of them'?" Asked Makoto.
"Well, the Knights of Neptune and Uranus didn't fall in love with their princesses."
"Who'd they fall in love with?" Usagi asked.
"Each other." Adrian answered.
"Really!?" Minako said eyeing Michiru and Haruka.
"Anyway..!" Haruka said, getting mad again.
"Alright!" Adrian began again, "Anyway! You all know how Metallia and Beryl destroyed the Silver Millennium. But there are some things you don't know, about Metallia in particular, like her reasons or her origin. You see, Metallia was originally from Saturn."
"WHAT!" Everyone said wide-eyed in shock.
"She was born on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, in Altair, my village."
"You knew Metallia?" Mamoru asked.
"Unfortunately, I did. Her parents died when she was still a baby, so our village healer took Metallia in and raised her. She tried to teach her the art of healing, but Metallia wouldn't listen. She began to practice dark magic, and grew up to be a very powerful sorceress. Even when she was a kid she was always power hungry. She was barely human anymore, and became the master of a very dark force, called the Negaverse.
Another thing you should know about her is, well…Metallia had sort of a crush on me (Shut up grandma!). I never liked her, even growing up, but she was determined to have me, no matter what. Believe me, that witch tried everything, even offering to give me some of her power, and could never take no for an answer.
When I became Saturn's Silver Knight, I fell in love with Hotaru. Apparently, Metallia didn't take it so well, and she left Altair. After that, she traveled to several other planets and increased her power, and soon she came here, to Earth. While on Earth, she met Beryl. Metallia saw in Beryl the same struggle she was having. Beryl was in love with Prince Endymion, but Endymion was in love with Princess Serenity. Metallia used that to her advantage, and promised Beryl if she helped her, she would give her the power to take revenge on the people who hurt her. So Metallia set Beryl up as the ruler of the Negaverse, and controlled her like a puppet.
While everyone's attention was on Beryl's attack on Earth, Metallia took her revenge on Saturn, and on Hotaru. I remember when she attacked Saturn, as if it were yesterday. She destroyed everything and killed thousands of innocent people. We gathered up the survivors and evacuated them as quick as we could." Adrian stopped and began to tense up. Sensing this, Hotaru took his hand and squeezed it for reassurance. "And then…Hotaru used the death reborn revolution and destroyed Metallia, killing herself in the process." Adrian finished, closing his eyes, as if trying to blot out the memory.
"Metallia's body was destroyed," Setsuna continued for him, "But her spirit was not. You all know what happened next. They destroyed the Moon Kingdom, and a millennium later broke the seal that Serenity cast and tried to release the Negaverse again, and again were stopped, this time by Princess Serenity."
"But what I don't get," Mamoru said to Adrian, "Was how did you manage to get here? You weren't killed in the battle back then."
"After Saturn was destroyed, I went to the Moon Kingdom. Beryl destroyed it soon after, and I survived again. Serenity sent all the people to the Earth to be reborn in the future. But I could not go since I was still alive. So Serenity put me into a state of suspended animation, and I slept until Hotaru awoke again as Saturn's princess. That was four years ago."
"And you've been searching for her ever since then?"
"Yes, and I finally found her." Adrian smiled at Hotaru, who smiled back.
"It was you who saved Hotaru from that monster last night, wasn't it?" Asked Michiru.
"Yes it was." He answered her, "But it was thanks to Hotaru that I was able to destroy it. I couldn't have done it without her help."
"So, then where did this monster come from?" Ami asked to everyone.
"Metallia sent it." Hotaru answered.
"What! Metallia? Wait, I thought we destroyed her?" Usagi said.
"You did." Hotaru answered again, "But it is definitely her. She's been reborn, and this time she not just a spirit. She has a flesh and blood body again. I saw her reawaken in a dream last night."
Silence fell over the room. A bell from outside made everyone look up.
"I think this meeting has ended. You guys have to get to school." Michiru said.
"What about Hotaru?" Asked Chibi-usa, "We haveta do something to protect her."
"Hey, don't worry." Adrian replied, "I'm here for that."
"I think that Adrian should stay with us." Setsuna suggested.
"Wait a minute!" Haruka began, "There's no way that I'm going to allow him to…"
"You could stay in the room next to Hotaru's." Michiru said to Adrian.
"Did you hear what I sa…" Haruka tried.
"Although Hotaru's room may need a little redecorating, but we should get it fixed in no time." Setsuna said.
"Will you liste…" Haruka tried again.
"While Hotaru's in school, we'll have to go shopping and get some regular clothes for you. We can't have you dressed in your armor all the time." Michiru said.
"Are you even paying atten…" Haruka tried yet again.
"Thanks a lot everyone." Adrian said.
He took Hotaru's hand and everyone began to leave.
"WILL YOU WAIT A MINUTE!" Haruka said finally getting everyone's attention. "There is no way that I'm gonna allow him in the same house as Hotaru,"
"Adrian is staying with us, Haruka." Michiru said.
'Michiru, I will not…"
"He IS staying with us! And that is final!" Michiru said, ending the matter.
"Well, that's another point for me, grandma!"
"YOU!"